Ophthalmic diagnostics and therapeutics frequently rely on a class of optical systems that involve the tailoring and delivering of a beam of optical radiation to a subject, for example, an eye. Lasers are used for ablation and photocoagulation, for example, in the treatment of tumors of the eye and vascular disease of the eye. The scanning laser ophthalmoscope is a direct-detection scanning beam confocal imaging technology designed to acquire high contrast images of the ocular fundus. High resolution scanning confocal microscopy is used for cornea endothelial cell counting. Optical coherence tomography is a low numerical aperture confocal interferometric imaging system for obtaining depth-resolved images of ocular structure.
Each of these systems typically requires tailoring of beam geometries to achieve specific objectives. Generally, focal control is required to direct the beam waist of the optical radiation to the region of interest, and beam magnification controls numerical aperture for lateral resolution at the beam waist and depth of field around the beam waist. Existing beam delivery systems may be improved.